Idee syndykalistyczne w opiniach polskiej publicystyki politycznej pod koniec Wielkiej Wojny i w początkach niepodległości

Abstract

Syndicalistic ideas, which we re usually perceived as utopian, we re not popular in Poland at the time that was crucial for shaping the II Republic. It was quite commonly believed then that once vital doctrine of syndicalism had definitely lost its importance whereas its followers, in France and Italy as well, lost struggle for hegemony within the left with communists and socialists. Nevertheless, we can easily find traces of syndicalism fascination in the then Polish political commentary, for instance in Stefan Zeromski's works from 1918- 1919. Socialists were a political group which devoted most attention to syndicalistic concepts at the beginning of the II Republic. It does not seem surprising. Syndicalism, which opted for capitalism's overthrowing, was commonly associated with the radical left-wing. Therefore fears whether the doctrine that had originated in France would not win workers' recognition and become a rival for socialism, could appear among those connected with the Polish Socialist Party. In time such fears weakened. Most publicists connected with PSP came to the conclusion that syndicalism had already ceased to matter as an important ideological proposa!, and thus real struggle in the left was only carried on between the folIowers of socialism and communism.